Automatic shoe display device



July 4, 1939. w. H. PARKssoN AUTOMATIC SHOE DISPLAY DEVICE Filed June 7,1938 ATTORNEY.

Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES .einen PATENT OFFlQE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to display devices, particularly of the typeadapted for shoes.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved traveling displaydevice for shoes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved device for thetraveling display of a plurality of rows of articles, such as shoes, soas to obtain the effect of depth in viewing the articles, and to permitthe articles to be readily observed from different angles.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved display devicehaving a plurality of offset traveling belts and a unitary illuminatingmeans therefor.

Another object of the invention is to construct an improved cabinet forthe stationary and traveling belt display of articles, such as shoes.

Another object of the invention is to furnish a belt, drive and cabinetarrangement for a traveling display device.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improvedtraveling or endless belt display device having means for turning thearticles carried by the belt to exhibit different views thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a traveling belt displaydevice having improved means for securing shoes in different positionsthereon according to the character or style of the shoes.

A further object of the invention is to furnish a display device ofimproved construction and arrangement, and having few and simple parts,and which is compact, neat and attractive in appearance, easy andconvenient in operation, durable, reliable, and efficient in use.

Certain advantages of the invention are best exemplied when consideredin relation to the display of shoes. I-Ieretofore it has been thecustomary practice for the shoe salesman to take from stock and unboxmany pairs of shoes in the endeavor to find a pair which would suit thecustomer in respect not only tolit, but also in relation to style,quality and price. In catering to ladies, the busy salesman usuallyfinds himself with a large quantity of shoes lying around, which must beaccurately reassembled in pairs, reboxed and put away in theirappropriate places. With the present invention, the customers may becomfortably seated and in a comparatively few moments conveniently andleisurely inspect all or a substantial part of the entire stock carriedin the store. With the shoes properly tagged, the customer may makenotations of the numbers and prices of the shoes, and thus come pre-(Cl. S12-134) pared for quick sales service. Thus store space isconserved, as well as the time and energy of both salesman and customer.The latter will purchase with the satisfaction of having seeneverything, and many sales will thus be consummated that would otherwisebe lost. In actual use in a large store, the present display device hasdirectly resulted in an actual substantial increase in the sale ofshoes, over a large period of time. The invention aims to aord theseadvantages.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novelcombinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in theirpreferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claim, andillustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated bythe same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective isometric view showing a device embodying theinvention, with the shoe holding elements omitted.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device taken on line 2 2of Fig. 3, showing some of the shoe holding elements and illustratingcertain shoes as held thereby.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2,with the shoe holding elements omitted.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2,showing certain of the shoe holding elements.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the device showing the means forturning the shoes.

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the belt showing an element of the turningmeans.

Fig. 7 is a view in end elevation with parts in section showing the shoesecuring means.

Fig. 8 is a View in side elevation thereof with parts removed, and oneof the parts shown in dot-dash lines.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized whenall of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and thesame structure, but, useful devices may he produced embodying less thanthe whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the inventionappertains, that the same may be incorporated in several differentconstructions` The accompanying drawing, therefore, is

submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplication of theinvention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, I6 denotes a display deviceembodying the invention, and Which will be illustratively describedherein in connection with the display of shoes. Said device I maycomprise any suitable cabinet which may have like front and rear wallsI2, a bottom wall I3, and like end walls I4. Said casing may have a topopening closed by a plate of glass l5. A central longitudinal partitionI6, |6a may divide the cabinet into two sections having like displaymeans, so that only one of them need be described. Horizontal shelves orwalls I1, I8 may provide compartments I9 on opposite sides of thepartition I6 for the stationary display of shoes. These compartments maybe closed by glass plates or doors 26 slidable as in tracks 2| of theside walls I2. Vertical reenforcement walls 22 may extend from top tobottom of the cabinet, spaced inward of the end walls I4 to provide endwalls for the compartments I9 and to provide upright end compartments 23extending the full height and width of the cabinet These endcompartments 23 may be bounded by inclined tcp corner walls 24 havingglass windows for the display compartments formed by the walls 26, 2l.Mounted on the walls Il, in the compartments 2S, between the partitionI6 and the windows 26 which confront the same along the side walls I2,are the upright wall elements 36, which may extend between the walls 22,for a purpose hereinafter described.

Mounted in the end compartments 23 are the upper and lower shafts 3l,and the shafts 33 are mounted in the compartments 2S to the rear of thewalls 33. The shafts 3l, 322 carry pulleys 34 for the endless belts 65,which are disposed side by side. The belt 35 is trained over the pulleys31 carried by the shafts 3i, and the belt 36 is trained over the pulleys36 carried by the shafts 33. In one of the end compartments 23 are apair of shafts carrying the idler tensioning pulleys 40 for the belts35, 36. Mounted on one of the shafts 32 is a pulley or sprocket wheel 4|connected by a belt or chain 42 to a similar drive element 43, which isconnected to any speed reducing means 44, driven by an electric motor48. The motor and speed reducer units may be disposed in an endcompartment 23 as shown or in the central compartment 49 below the floorI8. It will now be apparent that the motor 48 drives four belts at equalspeed or at different speeds depending upon the pulley sizes. Hence thetraveling display is operated at both sides of the central partition I6simultaneously. It will be noted that the belt 35 has its lower runbeneath the floor I8 and passing through openings 5D in the walls 22,with the upper run of the belt passing through openings 5| in saidWalls, which openings are all of sufficient size for the passagetherethrough of shoes carried by the belt. Likewise the belt 36 passesthrough lower openings 56.

It will now be seen that the upper run of the belt 35 lies along thebottom of the window 28, and the upper run of the belt 36 lies along theupper edge of the wall element 36, with the belts being thus partiallyconcealed to afford a neat and attractive arrangement as shown in Fig.l.

If illumination be desired, one or more lamps 53 may be disposed under asingle reflector 54 which rests on the glass plate I5 so as to projectlight into both oi' the sections 29.

In order to mount the shoes in conformity with the height of the heelsthereof, each belt 35, 36 is provided with a series of spaced holders55, each comprising an adjustable clamp 56 for clamping the sole of ashoe at opposite edges of the arch thereof. The clamp 56 may bevertically and angularly settable, as by having a shank 5l' having aslot 58 receiving a screw 59 which engages an anchor plate 60 secured tothe belt. Hence the elevation of the clamp may be adjusted along theslot, and the angle of the clamp may be adjusted by pivotal movementabout the screw 59, to thus suit any style of shoe. By using a splitspring Washer 6| for the screw 59, the adjustment of the clamp may befrictionally easily effected. The plate 60 may also have an extension 62to which a descriptive tag for the shoes may be attached or clamped.

In order to permit the observer to obtain a direct front View as well asa side View of the shoes, in course of their travel, I provide means forrotating or angularly moving or turning the shoes. For example, theholders 55 may each have a pin 63 journaled in the belt in any suitablemanner to permit the holder 55 to be turned. Attached to the pin 63 isany suitable means for causing angular motion, for instance, a pair ofarms 64, 65 which project toward opposite edges of the belt forengagement with the respective cams 66, 6`| disposed along the oppositeedges of the belt and mounted on any suitable adjacent parts of thecabinet as shown in Fig. fl. It will be noted that the cams arelongitudinally spaced along the belt and that the arms 6G, 55 are at anangle to each other, whereby the holder 55 is rst turned in onedirection and then reversed to initial position as may be seen from Fig.5. More specifically, the initial position of the holder is shown at awith the shoe extending longitudinally of the belt. As the belt travelstoward the right, the projecting end of the arm 64 strikes the cam 66 toturn the holder to the position indicated at b, thus affording a moredirect view of the front of the shoe. This position is maintained at c.Due to the turning of the end of the arm 64, arm 65 now projects tostrike the cam 6l causing the holder to return to its original positionat d. This operation is automatic and can be eiected by inexpensivemeans.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a dc- Vice which fulfills theobjects of the invention and is well adapted for practical use.

I claim:

A display device including a cabinet having a plurality of endlesstraveling belts having article holding means, said belts having adjacentruns at different elevations, said cabinet having a window confrontingsaid runs of the belts, said cabinet having a vertical wall extendingalong and between said runs of the belts up to the upper belt to concealthe edges thereof, said cabinet having a wall concealing the otherportions of the belts, whereby only the upper runs of the belts arevisible through said window, to appear like traveling floors for thearticles, and means for driving the belts.

W'ILBUR H. PARKISON.

